Independence Day Tradition

For my entire life, it has been a tradition in our family to spend the Fourth of July at my grandfather's cabin at Mt. Charleston. This rustic cabin, which was built in 1941, has been owned by my grandfather since the early 1950's. Although it is certainly nothing special to look at, it holds a deeply treasured place in the hearts and minds of my family. In society, and in our families, traditions help establish our sense of identity and fill the vital human need to belong.

For decades, the cabin has helped fill the need to belong by serving as the family's gathering place for the summer holidays; Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day always start with a potluck lunch and is followed by a hike to Little Falls.

In between, there are always lots of games, piecing on food, sharing of stories and playing at the Mt. Charleston school.

The Scottish philosopher and essayist Thomas Carlyle wrote, “What an enormous magnifier is tradition! How a thing grows in the human memory and in the human imagination, when love, worship, and all that lies in the human heart, is there to encourage it.” The love that exists within our family has clearly been magnified by the traditional gatherings, where ties are created and friendships are renewed.

Every new generation in our family has been introduced to and made a part of this tradition.

From the time that I was young, going to the cabin meant adventure. Since my earliest memory, children have built forts and clubhouses with tree branches and scrap wood from the area nearby. Sticks served as swords, guns, lightsabers and wands.

Rocks have been used for projectiles, home base, and on occasion, a geology lesson from Grandpa Joe.

In a tradition that does not have to be taught, typical childhood games of army, cops and robbers, cowboys and indians, and now, Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean and Harry Potter are played out with each generation.